Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Indian pilot who fought off the co-pilot who allegedly tried to sabotage the plane’s systems, saving the lives of as many as 180 passengers on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said, “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery”. He said that even though he was stabbed and seriously injured, Machchhar fought back and opened the cockpit door which helped passengers and other crew members attack the perpetrator. Netanyahu said the pilot’s actions prevented what could have become a major aviation disaster. In a post on X, Azar said he was praying for Captain Machchhar’s recovery and described him as an experienced and gifted pilot.
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, had been working with flydubai, a low-cost carrier owned by the Emirati government, for four years. He had worked for SpiceJet for 10 years prior to that.
